Ash tray



Jan. 2, 1951 A. ca. WHELER 2,536,480

ASH TRAY Filed March 15, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet l J INVENTOR.

A 7' TOR/VEY Jan 2, 1951 A. a. WHELER ASH TRAY Filed March 15, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

AfTOR/VEY Patented Jan. 2, 1951 UNITED ASH TRAY Arthur Gorden Wheler, Syracuse, N. Y., assignor of one-third to Theodore E. Simonton, Gazenovia, N. Y.

Application March 15, 1946, Serial No. 654,607

4 Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in ash trays.

The principal purposes of the invention are to provide an ash tray adapted for safe and convenient use by cigarette or cigar smokers; to provide an ash tray for such use which may be easily washed or otherwise cleaned; to provide an ash tray for such use which is of simple and durable construction and may be economically manufactured; to providean ash tray for such use having two temporary disposal open sumps for receiving ashes and cigarette or cigar butts and a third normally closed final disposal sump into which ashes and butts from either or both of the open sumps may be easily discharged at will; and to provide an ash tray for such use preferably having means upon which smokers may temporarily place lighted cigarettes or cigars being smoked without danger of such lighted cigarettes or cigars falling out of the tray. The invention further includes so forming the tray, if desired, that lighted cigarettes or cigars dropped or falling into either of the upper sumps will roll into a choke channel portion of that sump and be extinguished, and also includes provision for automatically loosening butts stuck to walls of either of the upper sumps upon manipulation of the tray to dump butts and ashes from that sump into the normally closed sump.

An important specific purpose of the invention is to provide an ash tray having the features above set forth and consisting only of a main body member and a second member removably seated in the upper portion of the body member, said second member forming a part of each of the open sumps and also forming a cover for the normally closed sump, and said second member being removable to permit dumping of ashes and butts from the normally closed sump and also being oppositely tiltable at will in the body member to discharge ashes and butts from either of the open sumps into the normally closed sump.

The present application constitutes an improvement upon the ash tray described and claimed in my co-pending application, now Patent No. 2,397,394, issued March 26, 1946.

Other purposes and advantages of the invention will appear from the following detailed de- Figure 3 is a vertical longitudinal sectional,

view of the ash tray taken on line 3--3 of Figure 2;

tiltable member to dump ashes and butts from one of the open sumps into the normally closed sump;

Figure 5 is a perspective view of a slightly modiiied form of removable and tiltable member which may be employed with the body member cf the ash tray disclosed in Figures 1 to 4; and

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 2 showing the member of Figure 5 seated in a body member constructed as disclosed in Figures 1 to 4 to form with said body member a modified construction of ash tray embodying the invention.

Each of the ash trays shown consists of only two members, each formed of a suitable noncombustible material such as metal, glass, earthenware, porcelain or plastics, and each of such construction that it may be readily formed by molding or pressing. The ash tray shown in Figures 1 to will first be described.

The main body member In of the ash tray has in plan a rectangular, and preferably oblong, form and has a bottom wall II, two side walls I2 and two end walls is all integrally joined. Body member i0 is open at the top thereof, and the lower face of the bottom wall H is preferably fiat as shown. The upper edge of each of the end walls and side walls extends in a convex are from end to end of the wall to prevent a smoker from balancing a cigarette on any one of these edges.

Each end wall l3 of the open-top box-like main body member 26 has its inner side or face shaped to provide two flat and vertically disposed and laterally orfset wall face portions [3 and [3 connected substantially medially of the depth of member it by a narrow upwardly facing and horizontally disposed wall surface portion or ledge l3. Each side wall l2 of member Iii has its inner side or face shaped to provide two flat and vertically disposed and laterally offset wall face portions I2 and li connected substantially medially of the depth of member iii by an upwardly and inwardly facing inclined wall surface portion I2 The inclined wall surface portions iZ slope downwardly and inwardly toward each other, and their lower or inner edges are located at the same horizontal level as that of the ledges I3. The surfaces 52 are wider than surfaces I3 for the reason hereinafter pointed out.

The removable and oppositely tiltable member 14 of the ash tray will now be described. This member is adapted to seat withinthe upper portion of member H] with said member l4 resting on ledges 13 and on the inner portions of the inclined surfaces l2 to normally cover and seal the final disposal sump of the ash tray, said sump being defined by wall surfaces l3, l3 l2, I2 and the top face of bottom wall ll of member ii). For lightness, and to enable the cover to overlie a body of ashes and butts in the final disposal sump heaped centrally of the tray to a level higher than that of ledges 13 and the lower edges of surfaces [2% the member l4 is'preferably hollowed out at its under side as shown.

Member M is formed of one piece and of oblong shape in plan to provide a bar-likeportion l5 extending longitudinally of member l4 medially of said member, two vertically disposed and flat endsurfaces it, It lying in the planes of the flat ve'i'tica lly disposed end 'faces- El -41 or the barlike portion, two inclined upwardly and outwardly facing surfaces l8, l8 sloping downwardly and :outwardly from the 'loweredges of the longitudinalfside faces of portion l5, and two more "steeply inclined upwardly and outwardly facing "surfaces-l9,- ld'extendi-ng downward and outward from the lower edges of surfaces !8, i8 to the bottombf memberi i. The bar-like portion is transversely grooved to provide a series of grooves 2Q"each"adapted to have seated therein the mid 'length portion of a cigarette or cigar fwhich a smoker desires-to temporarily rest on the tray. Midway its ends; the portion 15 is increased inheight to providea'finger-grippable rib 2I extending across portion l5.

At its bottom, the member I l seats in member I'U' entirely around member Hi by seatingon the two ledges 13 and the lower portions of the two *inclinedsurfaces l2 of member It], to normally 'sealthefinal-disposal sump around the rim of said sump. This normal sealing of the final disposal'su'mp serves to prevent emission of odors from ashes and butts in said sump and also to exclude air'from said sump topromptly extinguishany burning cigarette or cigar butt or other burning material (such as a burning match stem) deposited and sealed in said sump. To so normally seal' the final disposal sump, the member 14 has two downwardly facing end edge surfaces '2'2,2 2 which are horizontally disposed, in the "normal-assembled condition of the members It! and I4, and seat flatly uponthe ledges it 13,

and two inclined and downwardly and outwardly facing longitudinal or side edge surfacess, 23

' whichconnect with the ends of surfaces 22,22

andjin the normal assembled condition of the members I0 and I4, extend downwardly and inwardly toward each other at thesame angle as surfaces 12, [2 of member lb and seat on said surfaces [2, 12 along the lower edges of said surfaces l2, l2 as shown, leaving the surfaces 12 [2 exposed for the major portion of the Width of'each surface l2, l2. As hereinbefore stated,

member 14 is preferably made hollow below portion 15, its interior conformation conforming with that of its exterior conformation to provide, as shownpside walls l8 l9 connected by end i'walls 16 16*.

U In the normal assembled condition of members Wand M, the end walls l3 of member l0 extend "higher throughout the width of the tray than any part of walls l8 le as shown. In the normal assembled condition of the two members, therefore, the final disposal sump in member Wis 4 covered and sealed by member 14, and there are provided two open temporary disposal sumps of general trough-like form extending longitudinally of the tray at opposite sides of the cigarette or cigar rest portion I5 of member I4. Each such open sump has one of its sides formed by one wall surface l2 and one wall surface I?! of member ill'and its oth'er'side formed by one'wall, surface 18 and one wallsurface 'IQ of member M. The

ends of the two open sumps are closed by, or

formed by, wall surfaces i3, W of member M.

It will be noted that each of the two open sumps slopes upward in opposite directions transversely-thereof from the lowest part of the sump, so thata cigarette or cigar butt rolling into the sump will come to'rest with the butt extending longitudinally of the sump and partly overlying member I l as well as one of the surfaces [2. It will also be noted that each open sump overlaps a different one of the two longitudinal edges of 'thefinal disposal sump"with the lowest part of each open sump extending close to and alon 4 the adjacent =10ngitu'd in'aledge of the final disposal' sum p. Consequently, if member His-lifted vertically;=any ashes or butts in both open sumps will d-ischarg'e into thefinal disposal sump. Any butt adheringto either cream of the members it and- 14" would be'tornloosefro'm said member or members with a rotating effect on the buttfor discharge into the final disposal sump, any lifting of member' i l from its seat tending-"to roll the buttoutwardlyand upwardly on the adjacent "surface 12' duetothe-partial normal extension of member 54 under the butt.

However, an irr portant' pur-pose ofthe present invention-is to provide me'ans wherebya cover such as member i4 'for thefinal disposal-sump may-not only be liftedvertically for sim'ultanebus discharge' of materialfrom both of the-open sti'mps into the 'rlnal' disposal sump and for removal c1" member id for dumping'the material fromthe final disposal sump, but also to provi'de means whereby the member l l 'may bereadily til-ted at -will transverselyof the tray 5 in eitherdirection to discharge materialfromone or-the omemr the open'su'mps into the final disposal-sump and,

preferably; alsoto force'any stuck-butt outwardly and upwardiy with a rolling motionas the member l4 begins totilt to thereby effect release-of any stuck butts fronrmembers IQ and 14; This dislodgment or release fit-stuck'buttswvithout -t0uching* them-with the hands-by merely tilting themember hi,- isadesirable"feature'of the invention. It is "well-known that when -'a' lighted and partially consumedcig'ar or-cigarette is deposited .in an ashtrayfit tendsa-f-ter-a short time to stick only their lower edges, the following described means illustrated in the drawings are preferred. At each corner of the member- IQ of the tray a substantially triangular-boss 24* is formed. The hypotenuse edge 24* or each boss- 24- extends downwardly and inwardly-from the adjacent surface [2 to the adjacent surface I2 each such edge of each boss being curved at its lower end abruptly downwardto form/a low and preferably rounded abutment edge portion 24 which joins the adjacent surface it. slightly outside of lower or inner longitudinal edge of said surface l2 to permit member Hi to seat in member U3 as above described with a close fit between the abutment portions 2d of the four bosses 25.

With this arrangement, a person grasping opposite ends of rib 2! between the thumb 'and'index finger of a hand, or by pressing or thrusting against one end of said rib, may tilt member M in either direction transversely of the tray. Merober I4 is shown so tilted in one direction in Figure 4. It will also be obvious that, with this arrangement, when a person applies member l2 to member It, the edges 24 24 of the bosses 24 will serve as centering guides to permit member H to settle by gravity (or under downward Dressure) to its normal and proper assembled seated position in member H].

In the modified form of ash tray shown in Figures 5 and 6, the main body member iii is constructed precisely as in the form of tray illus-- trated in Figures 1 to 4. The removable and tiltable member M of the modified tray is also constructed precisely as in the tray illustrated in Figures l to 4, with the exception that instead of its longitudinal side walls each consisting of two portions of different slope, each longitudinal side wall of member W extends downward and outward from the rib portion l5 at a constant slope, these side walls of member hi being designated 25, 25 in Figures 5 and 6.

This difference between the two forms of tray affords, in the construction shown in Figures 1 to 4, a choke channel in each open sump which is not afforded in the construction shown in Figures 5 and 6. Each choke channel in the tray shown in Figures 1 to 4 is normally closed at its bottom by one of the surfaces i2 and at its longitudinal sides by the adjacent surfaces l2 and [9. Each such choke channel in the tray shown in Figures 1 to a has a width slightly greater than the diameter of the usual cigarette, if the tray is built for use by cigarette smokers. It will be obvious that the trays shown, which are of a size especially suitable for use by cigarette smokers, maybe made on enlarged scale to especially adapt either tray for use by cigar smokers. The drawings show trays in full scale especially adapted for use by cigarette smokers. In Figure 4, a cigarette is diagrammatically represented in two different positions by the tw circles 25 in full and in dotted lines. Each of the surfaces I2 should be made wide enough transversely of the temporary disposal sumps to permit rolling of a butt thereup until the butt is cleared by the rising edge of the member l4 when said member is tilted, as indicated in Figure 4.

Although I have thus describedmy invention in considerable detail in the best form'of which I am aware, in accordance with the patent statutes, it will be evident that various changes and modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of my invention. Accordingly, I desire to be limited only by the prior art and the scope of the appended claims.

I claim:

1. An ash tray comprising a receptacle having extending downward therein from the top thereof a disposal well which has a bottom wall to which are joined two end Walls and two side 6 walls, and a ridge-like member which is removably seated upright within the upper portion of said well for manual tilting of said seated member selectively on either of its side edges and. against bodily horizontal endwise and sidewise movements of the seated member, said ridge-like seated member extending longitudinally between the end walls of said well and extending transversely thereof to the side walls of the well with said member closing on the lower portion of the well to provide a closed final disposal sump and dividing the remaining upper portion of the well into two temporary disposal sumps arranged for bottom discharge into said final discharge sump.

2. An ash tray, as claimed in claim 1, in which the ridge-like member has extending longitudinally of the crown thereof an upstanding rib which is transversely grooved to form a rest for cigarettes, the length of said rib being such that it does not overhang the end walls of the well.

3. An ash tray comprising a main body memher having therein an upwardly facing cavity which is rectangular in plan and is contracted entirely therearound below its upper end to provide at its lower end a final disposal sump for ashes and butts, which sump has an upwardly facing rim two opposite sides of which are disposed horizontally and the other two sides of which slope upwardly and outwardly from the sump, said cavity above said sump having two substantially parallel and vertical planar walls rising from the horizontally disposed sides of the sump rim and two substantially parallel and vertical planar walls connecting the aforesaid planar walls and rising from the sloping sides of the sump rim, a cover for said sump removably seated on said sump rim and rockable in the cavity on either of said sloping sides of the sump rim, said cover having two opposite substantially parallel vertical and planar walls provided with planar lower edges seated flatwise on the horizontally disposed sides of the sump rim and also having two opposite downwardly and outwardly sloping Walls connecting said vertical walls and provided with upwardly and outwardly sloping lower edges seated and rockable on the sloping sides of the sump rim along the inner edges of the latter, means carried by the cover and extending upwardly therefrom between the sloping walls of said cover for manual engagement to rock the cover at will on either of the sloping rim sides of the sump, and fixed means carried by the body member to permit rocking of the cover on each of the sloping rim sides and prevent sliding of said cover upward on said rim sides, said cover and portions of the cavity above the final disposal sump providing two open temporary disposal sumps adapted for discharge of contents of different ones of said temporary sumps into the final disposal sump by rocking the cover on either of the sloping sides of the rim of the final disposal sump.

4. An ash tray comprising a body having within its outer confines two opposed and substantially planar upwardly facing surfaces of substantially equal width sloping downward and inward toward each other, a transversely grooved rest for cigarettes or the like located between the higher edges of said sloping surfaces and extending longitudinally of said edges, and a liftably removable cover wall member for said body fixed to and pendent from said rest, said cover wall member having sides sloping, in opposite directions downwardly and outwardly from said rest within the outer confines of the body to said slopin surfaces of 

